Abstract

The prevalence of metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes is increasing worldwide. Herbs and spices have been used for the treatment of diabetes for centuries in folk medicine. Syzygium aromaticum L. (Clove) extracts (SE) have been shown to perform comparably to insulin by significantly reducing blood glucose levels in animal models; however, the mechanisms are not well understood. We investigated the effects of clove on metabolism in C2C12 myocytes and demonstrated that SE significantly increases glucose consumption. The phosphorylation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), as well as its substrate, acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) was increased by SE treatment. SE also transcriptionally regulates genes involved in metabolism, including sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) and PPARγ coactivator 1α (PGC1α). Nicotinamide, an SIRT1 inhibitor, diminished SE's effects on glucose consumption. Furthermore, treatment with SE dose-dependently increases muscle glycolysis and mitochondrial spare respiratory capacity. Overall, our study suggests that SE has the potential to increase muscle glycolysis and mitochondria function by activating both AMPK and SIRT1 pathways.